Skeletons
by baby8love
Summary: Lightman/Foster. A glimpse into Foster's past. Spoilers: Everything up to & including "Grievous Bodily Harm" is fair game!
1. Chapter 1

Ria was curious when she found Eli standing in a hidden corner in the hallway watching the conference room. She peeked over. Cal was inside the glass enclosure with a white-haired couple. _New clients?_ She turned her attention back to her colleague. Something in his stance told her there was something worth asking. "I didn't realize spying was part of your job description these days?"

"The truth, Torres, it's out there." He gave her a wink. "And it's our job to find it."

Understanding the pop culture reference, she teased, "Didn't peg you for an X-Files fan."

"Just because I like blunt honesty and unwavering facts in real life doesn't mean I don't indulge in make-believe sometimes." He was quick to return his focus to the conference room. He gestured with a slight nod in that direction. "Do you know who those two are?"

"Mm…no, but judging by Lightman's posture and the way he leans forward to listen intently when the couple is talking, he obviously respects them a lot. Who are they?"

"William and Mary Whitford."

"Whitford…" Ria repeated the last name under her breath. "Sounds familiar…"

"It should. You're looking at D.C. royalty." As it dawned on Ria who the couple was, Eli continued, "William Whitford is a fourth generation politician. The Whitford family is one of the most influential here in the capital."

"Right, yeah…I've heard of them. Their son…um…Gary Whitford was the mayor here for a while, wasn't he?"

Eli nodded. "Mmhmm…good job, Torres. Kept up with D.C. news even while on the west coast."

"Even when you're a baggage screener, you have to know your politicians. So, what are they doing here? You think they're new clients?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Well, clients, maybe, but definitely not new."

"What do you mean?"

"Not the first time I've seen them around here. I remember back when I first started out here, they came here once. I was an intern so, I didn't really get to go out into the field on cases. I only know they weren't clients back then."

"Ok…maybe they're just old friends of Lightman's?"

"Lightman being friends with politicians?" Eli looked at her incredulously.

She shrugged in defeat. "Ok, maybe not." Then she caught the slight curl-up of his lips. It had been subtle but she had caught it. "You know something, don't you?"

"Great thing about not being an intern anymore is that you get a lot more resources to work with. Like I said, the truth's out there, you just gotta find it."

Ria waited for him to elaborate. When he didn't, she placed an impatient hand on her hip and asked, "So what did you find?"

"Ok, I lied. Lightman is friends with them but it's why he's friends with them that makes this story interesting. Before marrying William, Mary was, by all means, from a prestigious background herself. Her family owns a lot of land in Connecticut and is well-known on their own, though they're quite a bit less in the spotlight than the political Whitfords. Marrying William simply joined together two powerful and extremely, ridiculously rich families. You know…the usual white-collar stuff."

"Ok…" Ria crossed her arms now. "Is there a point to all this?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Something in his tone told Ria he wasn't actually apologetic, "I forgot to mention what Mary's maiden name was…"

"What's going on here?"

Before Eli could make his big reveal, he was interrupted by Gillian's voice down the hall. Both he and Ria looked up to find that she was now standing in the doorway of the conference room and you didn't need to be a deception expert to know she didn't look happy.

"Uh-oh…storm's o'brewin'…" Eli narrowed his eyes as he looked at the scene unfolding in front of them.

Ria's eyebrows furrowed. _What is going on?_ She was as clueless as she was five minutes ago but she had a feeling she was about to find out all the answers to her questions very soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Gillian arrived at the office with a big smile on her face. The sun was out even though they were in the thick of fall by now. Temperatures had dropped as it did every October but she had a hot cup of coffee in her hand and she was happy. With everything that had happened recently in the office – Matheson taking Cal hostage, Cal going undercover to catch a counterfeit currency ring – she was glad just to deal with calm, mundane, everyday work.

She was barely through the double glass doors when she spotted her partner in the conference room with a couple she assumed were new clients. It took a moment for her to realize whom he was speaking to. Her shoulders tensed, the smile faded from her face, and she could feel her heart beating a little faster as she approached the door to the room.

Cal spotted her just as she opened the door and he was up in a snap to intercept her. "Foster…"

"What is going on here?" She ignored him and looked down at the seated couple. When no one spoke, she turned back to Cal, who was making sure the door was closed to keep curious ears out. "Cal…what is going on?"

"They need our help." His voice was calming.

She could tell by the way he had his hands out that he was trying to make sure she wouldn't make a scene but every fiber in her being told her she wanted to. "No." Her response was stern.

"Foster…"

"No." She looked at the couple, who were still watching them in silence. "We're not helping you with whatever it is that you need help with."

"Gillian…" The white-haired woman finally spoke.

"No!" Gillian interrupted her and shook her head fervently. "We're not doing this, Cal." Without giving him a chance to protest, she headed out the door.

Cal flashed an apologetic glance towards the Whitfords before following Gillian out of the conference room. "Foster…" He finally caught up with her in the kitchen. Some staff members who had been chatting inside scurried out to give their bosses some privacy. "I know you're angry."

"Angry is an understatement." She could barely look at him. Her eyes were darting everywhere else but at him.

"I know you don't wanna help them but if we look at them like any other clients, it's just another case." When she said nothing, he sighed. "But I won't do it if you really don't want to."

Finally, she looked at him. She blinked, trying not to cry. It was one thing to cry happy tears or sad tears but angry tears? She hated those. "What's the case?"

"They were recently contacted by a woman who claims…" He hesitated for just a moment before spitting out, "she is William's long-lost daughter."

Gillian scoffed bitterly. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"Look, you would have a direct conflict of interest in the case, regardless of its nature so, if we do take it, you won't be working on it. I could've easily promised to take it without asking you but you should have a say in this. If you don't want us to take it, I will refer them to someone else. Just say the word. I do, however, want to add that they've already agreed to a very hefty fee for our services. We could really use the money considering our financial status."

"And whose fault is it that we're in the financial situation that we're in right now?"

He quickly raised his hands in mock defense. "I know, I know…not exactly the most stable of arguments." He pointed to the doorway. "I'll go tell them we won't be taking the case, then?"

"No, wait." She knew she was going to regret this decision but as much as she hated admitting it, a part of her wanted to take the case. "Take it. I can't argue with money and if there's anything the Whitfords have, it's money."

"You sure?"

_No, I'm not._ Gillian paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Yes."

*****

"Whoa!" Eli grabbed Ria's arm and pulled her around the corner to shield them from getting caught spying. Cal and Gillian had just stormed out of the conference room and were now headed straight for the kitchen. He watched as, a moment later, several staff members hurried out of the kitchen.

"Wow, Foster does not look happy." Ria commented quietly.

"Yeah, I wonder what happened?"

"Hey," She swatted Eli's arm to get his attention, "so what were you saying about Mary Whitford? Something about her maiden name?"

"Oh, yeah…the heart of the story." He dipped his head and whispered, "Before she got married, she was known as Mary **Foster**."

*****

The elder woman pushed herself up from her seat as Cal and Gillian returned to the conference room. "I'm sorry if we've upset you with our visit, Gillian, we didn't mean to…"

"Why are you mincing words, Mary?" This time, it was the elder man's turn to get up. He turned to Gillian and said coldly, "We came to ask Dr. Lightman for his help but if it really bothers you that much to have to breathe the same air as your **parents**, then we will go. Thank you, Cal, for entertaining the idea of helping us."

"Well, hold on now, we had a discussion and it's been decided that we will take your case." Cal glanced at Gillian but when she showed no signs of wanting to jump into the conversation, he continued, "I will work exclusively on the case. I have some very talented people who will work with me on it. Gillian obviously will not be working on the case due to a conflict of interest…"

"Gillian, are you sure you're ok with this?" Mary Whitford asked with genuine concern.

"It's a little late to be worried about that, don't you think, Mom?" She quickly looked at her father, knowing she would soften her stance if she faced her mother for too long. "Cal told me you've agreed to a reasonable fee."

"Of course. The Lightman Group's the best in the business and the best costs money."

Her lips curled up into a sardonic smile. "Hmm…**you** would know."

"Foster." Cal stepped in before anymore could be said. "Maybe you can get Torres and Loker in here while Mary and William give me more details about the case."

Gillian knew it was best that she didn't stay in the room. She would get angrier and say things she would regret. Now that her parents were clients, there was a certain level of professionalism she would have to display, no matter how much she didn't want to. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Cal looking at her worriedly. It annoyed her. Right now, all she wanted to do was get out of there so, without a word, she left.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: A major mistake was brought to my attention from the first two chapters (Foster being Alec's last name and not Gillian's maiden name). I apologize for it. :S I clearly have not paid as much attention as I should be! Thanks to everyone who pointed the mistake out to me. It's a little late to correct it now so I'm gonna try to work it into my story. I'm taking a lot of liberties with this fic so please PLEASE bare with me! I'll try my best to make this as believable as possible. As for the reason behind Gillian taking her mother's last name instead of her father's, that was actually something I had planned on having be part of the story. Again, please bare with me. I appreciate your patience and, of course, your continued feedback! Thanks!

*****

_She emerged from the house and took in the warm summer air. It was only 9:00 in the morning, much earlier than she usually would wake on a weekend, but today was unlike any other Sunday. Today was her birthday. She was finally ten! She was so old now! Stretching her arms up, she let her head fall back and closed her eyes, allowing the sun to drape over her face. She would've stayed outside in the garden a lot longer if her stomach wasn't begging for food. Her mother was out, dealing with last-minute arrangements for her birthday party._

_Her party! She grinned, skipping around the corner of the building and up the steps towards the kitchen. In a couple of hours, her friends would be here and she would get to open up all her gifts but, more importantly, she would finally get to see the birthday cake her father had promised would be custom-made just for her! Her heart raced with excitement as she threw open the double doors that led into the kitchen. She was disappointed to find that their cook, Ms. Helen, was nowhere to be found. It was Sunday. She forgot Ms. Helen was off on Sundays._

_Maybe Daddy could make her something to eat! She remembered the door to her parents' room was opened when she had come out of her bedroom earlier. He must be in his study. Without giving it another thought, she bounced down the corridor towards her father's home office. As she neared, she could hear whispering on the other side of the closed oak door. Daddy was inside! She reached for the doorknob and pushed with all her might. She had always hated that door. It was so heavy._

"_Daddy, I'm hungry, can you…" She stopped in her tracks, her mouth open in shock as she discovered the scene inside._

"_Jilly!" Her father's voice was a mixture of surprise and panic. He grabbed the jacket that had been thrown haphazardly on the floor to cover himself._

_But she didn't notice. All she was focusing on was the woman her father had just pushed out of his embrace. She recognized her. It was Susan, her father's new secretary._

"_Jilly, don't…"_

_Before her father could finish his sentence, she was out of the room, slamming the heavy oak door behind her. The 'thud' it made echoed down the corridor as she ran through it, crying and desperately searching for somewhere to hide. Suddenly, she no longer wanted to eat or to celebrate her birthday. All she wanted to do was hide._

*****

Cal rapped Gillian's desk with his knuckles. "Foster?"

She startled and seemed surprised to find that he was in her office. It took a moment for her to gather herself. "Hi…um…they left?"

He could tell she was trying very hard to sound casual but the harder she tried, the less convincing it was to him. "Yes, just saw them out." He paused, tilting his head to look at her. "You alright?"

"Of course." When he gave her a dissatisfied look, she sighed, "What do you want me to say, Cal? I haven't spoken to my parents in almost 10 years and, suddenly, they show up here asking for our help?"

"I know this is hard for you."

His sincerity was obvious but it still irked her. "Then you should've never even considered helping them."

"You could've said no."

"Oh, now you're gonna put this on me?"

He paused. She was angry. He couldn't and shouldn't hold anything she said against her. "We all have skeletons in our closet, Foster. It's how we deal with them that matters."

"That's rich, coming from the man who chooses to lock his skeletons in and then throws away the key just for safe measure."

"I know your father isn't your favourite person in the world but…"

"But what? As long as he loves me, I should ignore everything that's ever happened?"

"But at least you had a father who bothered to try."

_Unlike me._ She thought about Cal's unsaid words. She knew that was what he had meant. "Bothered to try? Do you know what it's like to catch your father in a compromising position with his secretary on your tenth birthday?" Her eyebrows furrowed at the memory. "Yeah, he sure bothered to try after **that**. He tried to bribe me with my own horse. I got a bunny, a puppy, a shopping trip in Paris, a safari trip in Africa, and two cars…all before I was seventeen. We never talked about what the gifts represented but I knew. Each gift was his way of reminding me that no mater how many women he slept with, it was never my place to reveal. All the while, he ran for office and charmed the public into believing he was this upstanding citizen who loved his wife and provided for his children." She was stopped by the sensation of water on her cheeks. She reached up and wiped away the tears she hadn't noticed had begun to roll down her face.

Cal listened intently. Though he had picked up bits and pieces of the story over the years, she had never given him the whole story. He handed her the box of tissues that sat on the corner of her desk. She thanked him quietly. When she said nothing else, he decided to continue for her, "That's when you began to…"

She nodded. "I know it's naïve to think that rebelling against him would somehow make him stop cheating. I knew it wouldn't but I guess a part of me hoped that if he had his hands full dealing with me, he wouldn't have time to…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "It was stupid."

"You wanted your father to stop making his mistake. It's understandable."

"Except nothing worked. He would get mad but then, he would only blame my mom for not watching me close enough. Then she would cry even more. I only made things worse." She looked down, a clear sign of guilt.

Cal wished there was a magic word he could say to make her feel better but he knew there was no such word. She would have to deal with this without his help, not because he didn't want to but because there were some things that only she could do on her own. If anyone understood that, it was him. Then he suddenly remembered something. He dug his hand into his pocket and fished out a business card. He handed it to her.

She took it and frowned in confusion. "This is your business card, Cal."

He smiled and made a swirling motion with his finger. "Other side."

She flipped the card over. There was a phone number written on the other side. "What is this?"

"Your mother gave it to me before she left. Says you can reach her at that number…" He paused before adding, "only if you want to, of course."

"I have nothing to say to her." She threw the card onto her desk, though her eyes said otherwise. They stayed trained on the card.

"Now, you know that's not true, love." He wagged his finger at her before gesturing at the door. "I should get going. Have a long-lost daughter to investigate. Call me if you need anything?"

The familiarity of how they always ended their conversations finally managed to bring a smile to her face. When Cal was gone, she picked up the card and looked hard at the number. She knew she would eventually have to deal with this problem. She just didn't think the problem would find her before she was ready.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I'm gonna begin to explain everything in these coming chapters. Again, please bare with me. If things seem confusing or messy, just read on and (HOPEFULLY!) everything will clear up as the story continues. Thanks!

*****

_She had heard a quiet sob coming from the living room. For a moment, she considered running back upstairs to the safety of her own bedroom but something told her whoever was in the living room wasn't a monster. She tiptoed into the dark room, her heart racing and her hands getting clammy. The room was pitch-black save for the light coming from the flickering flames in the fireplace. It didn't take long for her to realize who it was in the living room. "Mommy?"_

_Mary whipped around, surprised to have been caught crying alone. The look of horror on her face was masked by the darkness surrounding them. She quickly wiped away her tears and motioned for her daughter to join her on the leather armchair. "Come here, sweetheart." The little girl hurried into her mother's awaiting arms. "Why aren't you asleep?"_

"_I couldn't sleep. Why are you crying?"_

_There was a pause before the woman kissed her daughter on the forehead and explained, "I was just reading a sad book, that's all."_

_If the girl could see in the dark, she would find that there was no book near her mother but with sleep weighing on her, she accepted her mother's words without further question. "You shouldn't read sad books, you should read books that make you happy!"_

"_Yes, of course, dear. I'll only read happy books from now on, ok?" She smiled as her daughter yawned. "Let's get you to bed."_

_The girl had no idea there would be many more nights in the future where her mother would cry alone in the dark. She had no idea in just two years, she would catch her father doing exactly what would cause her mother's tears. But for now, the eight year old was at peace. She was sleepy and the mystery of why her mother had been crying had been solved...in her mind, anyway. Nothing else mattered._

*****

The sound of the door opening and closing snapped Gillian out of her memory. She looked up to find her mother had just arrived. When her mother had asked her where they should meet, she had chosen a coffee shop. Good enough for a first date, good enough for a meeting with the mother you haven't spoken to in ten years. She smiled courteously as her mother sat down. "Um…I got you a latte." She hoped her mother wouldn't misinterpret the cup of coffee as anything other than a polite gesture.

Mary smiled gratefully and wrapped her cold hands around the warm cup. "Thank you."

For a while, nobody spoke, neither of them knowing where to begin. Finally, Gillian spoke. "I was surprised to see the two of you at the office this morning."

"I'm sorry if we upset you. I told your father we should've called Cal first, let him know we were coming…"

_So that he could send you away like he did when we visited five years ago._ Gillian remembered how five years ago, Cal had sent her off to run some mundane errand for a case that any intern could've done. She had been annoyed and suspicious but didn't understand why he had so desperately wanted her out of the office until she came back later that day and he confessed that her parents had dropped by. She had been angry that he had lied to her but secretly grateful he had known her well enough to know that she wouldn't want to be there while her parents were present.

"I insisted there were other people who could do the job but your father insisted he wanted Cal's help…"

"It's alright. I would never run potential clients away."

"Potential clients…of course." The hurt in Mary's voice was as obvious as the expression displayed on her face.

Gillian immediately felt a pang of guilt shoot through her. Her voice softened when she spoke again. "So…how have you been?"

"Good. Since your father's retired, he's been spending a lot of time at home. We've gone on several trips together. Actually, we finally managed to take that trip to…"

As her mother caught her up on ten years worth of changes, she took the time to really study the woman sitting across from her. Her mother had aged considerably in the past ten years, evidenced by the white hair and deepened wrinkles, but what Gillian found most profound was the same sadness she had seen in her mother's eyes those many years ago was still ever-present now. The only difference was that she had a feeling the sadness she saw now was no longer caused by her father. Another pang of guilt shot through her heart as she realized she was the reason for the uncried tears in her mother's eyes.

"…and since quitting at the mayoral office, your brother's been working with a lot of non-profit organizations. He's rarely around anymore. His work takes him all around the world. You'd be proud of him."

"I heard." Gillian's eyes quickly dropped to the cup of coffee sitting in front of her. She had actually kept in contact with her brother over the years but had begged him to keep it a secret from their parents. The last thing she wanted was for him to have to become a messenger or secret agent between the two sides.

"What about you?" Mary could barely keep the pleading tone out of her voice. "How have you been?" There was a pause before she quietly added, "I heard about your divorce."

_Of course you've heard._ It took every fibre in her body to keep her anger in check. When she spoke, it was with a calm voice. "Yes, it was finalized a few months ago."

"That's…good."

When her mother said nothing else, Gillian frowned. "That's it? I get a divorce and all I get is a 'that's good'?"

"Jilly…"

"No, Mom, just…" She held her hand up but quickly dropped it when she remembered Cal telling her it was a sign of true anger. "Just say what we both know you wanna say, ok? You're happy. No, wait, I'm sure you're **ecstatic** that I finally left Alec."

Mary provided no hint of an emotion on her face and she said nothing at first. Finally, she nodded, her voice stern when she spoke, "Yes, I'm actually very happy that you divorced him. You know I never thought that boy was good enough for you."

"Really? And here I thought you just didn't like him cuz he was from your family."

The older woman's eyes widened and she leaned forward before hissing, "Don't say that so loud!"

Gillian laughed bitterly. "I dunno if I should be comforted or horrified that you haven't changed one bit, Mom."

Mary quickly returned to her quiet demeanor, pulling away and sitting up with her back straight as a board. "He was only part of my family because that poor excuse of a mother of his seduced her way into my brother's bed. The blood that runs through his veins is nowhere close to ours, no matter what last name he managed to pick up along the way."

"You know…I understand why you didn't like Alec's mother cuz you thought she was a golddigger who was only after Uncle Jimmy's money but, shouldn't your anger also be directed at Uncle Jimmy? I mean, he's the one who married her three weeks after Aunt Caroline died. And I **really** don't understand your hatred towards Alec. He was eighteen when his mother married Uncle Jimmy. He despised that marriage as much as you did. He didn't even attend the wedding!"

"I'm not having this conversation with you again, Jilly. What's done is done."

"It can't be because you thought he corrupted me because I was one who pursued him. You knew that. Everybody knew that."

"That's enough, Gillian."

She knew her mother was at a breaking point but she forged on, years of anger taking over her judgment. "You know what I think, Mom? I think you hated Alec because he provided me a way out and that was something you never found."

The force with which Mary got up from her seat nearly tipped the table over. She looked down at her daughter with icy eyes but her voice was even colder. "I thought after all these years, you would've let go of some of that resentment towards your father and I but you clearly haven't. You blame us for everything bad that ever happened to you but, the truth is, you know it was never that bad. You gave as good as you got, Jilly, but your father and I never gave up on you. **You** were the one who walked away." With that, she turned and stormed out of the coffee shop.


	5. Chapter 5

"So, am I gonna get in trouble for referring to the big pink elephant in the room?" Eli lifted his hand into the air as a student would when waiting to be called on by his teacher.

Cal crossed his arms and stayed trained on the large screen they had been watching. "You won't get in trouble, Loker, I'll just choose to ignore you." He pointed to the screen. "You see the way her eyes briefly look down when we asked about how she felt when she found out she maybe William Whitford's daughter? That's guilt."

Ria nodded. "Yeah, yeah…there were multiple points during the interview where she displayed signs of very strong guilt. She's lying. The guilt is because she knows she's not related to William Whitford."

"But when we asked her how much money she expected to get out of reuniting with her long-last father, she showed genuine anger. She was offended."

"Ok, so she doesn't want money. Maybe she just wants acknowledgement."

"Why go through all that trouble of lying about your parentage if it's just for acknowledgement? It's understandable if she really believed she was his child but if she doesn't…it doesn't make sense."

As both Cal and Ria considered the possibilities, Eli spoke up again, "Well, acknowledgement can lead to money. Book deals, TV interviews…if people find out she's William Whitford's illegitimate child, she'll immediately be in the spotlight. She might not want a part of his assets but that doesn't mean she won't get rich some way."

"We need a background on her. Did you find anything on her mother?"

Ria reached for the folder containing the information Cal asked for and handed it to him. As Cal skimmed through the papers inside, she exchanged a look with Eli. His eyes darted up at Cal as he silently goaded Ria into pursuing their unanswered questions.

She cleared her throat conspicuously. "Um…you know, maybe if we knew a bit more on the clients themselves, it might help the case."

"If you want me to tell you gossip, at least have the courage to be honest about it, Torres." Cal took a break from the folder in his hands to give Ria a scolding look. "All you two need to know is that our clients are William and Mary Whitford and whether this woman," he pointed at the screen again, "is William's daughter. That's it." He handed the folder back to Ria. "Anymore questions?"

Both Ria and Eli ashamedly shook their heads as their boss left the lab. With Cal gone, Eli let out the breath he had been holding in. "Well that sure went well!"

Ria looked at him out of the corner of her eyes and replied sarcastically, "Yeah, just great."

"Oh, c'mon, Torres, don't look so defeated. Just cuz Lightman won't answer our questions doesn't mean we can't find answers on our own." He glanced at the door to make sure Cal was definitely gone and fished out a file from under a pile of unobvious folders. "The internet is our friend."

"You found more information?"

"Not information. Secrets." He handed the folder to his colleague. "Remember how I told you Foster's mother's maiden name was…well, Foster?" When Ria nodded, he continued, "Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

Ria furrowed her eyebrows, not yet getting the connection. "Foster clearly wants to keep her connections with her family low-key. She probably adopted her mother's maiden name for that reason."

"Yes, but do you know whose last name is also Foster?" He slowed his words on purpose.

She hated when he spoke to her like she was stupid. "Can you just get to your point, please?'

"You're no fun, Torres. She was married to Alec **Foster**."

Ria opened her mouth to speak but then she went over what Eli just said and became even more confused. "Wait. Foster wasn't her own last name? I thought…" She shook her head as the possibilities flooded her mind. "Whoa…is this gonna get really kinky and…"

Eli laughed, shaking his head. "No. Well, I did consider it for a second. You know what they say about it always being the quiet ones." He raised his eyebrow playfully before shaking his head again. "But no kinkiness here. They're not related. Well, not biologically, anyway." He opened the folder in Ria's hands and pointed to the first page. "Alec's mother was Foster's uncle's second wife, therefore, making Alec her…step-cousin? Is there such a thing?"

"What?" Though reality wasn't quite as convoluted as the scenario she had considered, it still had its shock value to Ria. "So…his mother married Foster's mother's brother and then, what? They just…grew up together and fell in love?"

"I guess you can say that. But they had to be, at least, seventeen or eighteen by the time this happened. It wouldn't be too weird to think that they fell in love. It's not like they really grew up thinking they were cousins."

"I dunno about you but that's still pretty messed up to me."

"Oh c'mon, I'm sure you've seen storylines ten times more scandalous on those telenovelas that I **know** you watch." He pointed a finger at her as if daring her to try to deny it.

"Yeah, but that's made-up! This is real. Foster married her cousin."

"**Step**-cousin."

"That couldn't have sat well with her parents."

"Especially not if your father's a shiny politician that can't afford any family scandals like this one."

"You think that's why she and her parents are so cold to each other?"

"That and her father's a cheating bastard." He shrugged when Ria gave him another one of her looks. "Just cuz he managed to keep his indiscretions out of the media doesn't mean they didn't happen, it just means he had enough money to cover everything up. I have a feeling the woman we're investigating isn't the first long-lost child to come out of the woodwork."

"Wow…I would've never thought Foster had such a complicated history. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though. It explains why she is the way she is."

"And what way is that?"

"You know, the way she holds everything close to herself. I mean, she encourages others to open up and to share but when it comes to herself, she's as closed up as Lightman sometimes."

"Why is it that you've worked here for a year and you sound like you know her better than I do?"

"That's cuz I care, Loker." She pulled her chair closer to the desk and sat up. "C'mon, let's try to get some real work done, shall we?"


	6. Chapter 6

_She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator and lifted her head to look at the display above the doors. There was a long pause as each number flashed on the display, indicating that the elevator was picking up passengers on each floor as it descended to the ground floor. She was not having a good day and this long wait was not helping at all. She had not realized she had left her paper at home until she was already more than halfway to her professor's office. Making the trek back home took her half an hour and when she got back, Alec was there to greet her with an argument. That took another half an hour._

_6. 5. Pause. People on the fifth floor were getting on._

_Sometimes she wished that Alec would just take a little more, just enough to make him pass out so she wouldn't have to deal with him when she was home but that was never the case. He was always strung out just enough to feel a high but still manage to recognize her when she appeared. Worse, still, was his ability to find something to argue with her about even in his cocaine-filled hazes. He never got violent but the things he said were enough to make her want to stay away from the dingy apartment they had called home since both moving away from their respective families._

_She never had the heart to yell back or to tell him to sober up because she knew he was in the state that he was because of her. She was the one who pursued a relationship with him. She was the one who encouraged him to move out with her. She was the one who decided to continue onto her PhD while he worked two jobs just to pay the rent. Things were great at first. They were in love. They were away from their families. They were happy. Then schoolwork began to pile on and she spent less and less time with him. He soon found other ways to entertain himself, one of which became the addiction that had so easily taken over his life. Soon, he was too high to work either of his jobs and now, he spent most of his days on the couch, waiting for her to come home so they could argue some more. It was exhausting trying to keep up with her studies while earning money as a research assistant but she never complained because, secretly, she was grateful for an excuse to be away from the apartment. Away from Alec._

_There was a soft 'ding!' as the elevator finally reached its destination. The doors slowly opened and she gritted her teeth as the people inside seemed to take their time trickling out. After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator finally emptied and she hurried in. She quickly pressed the buttons for the tenth floor and to close the door but was disappointed when a hand stuck out just as the doors were about to finish closing. She grimaced._

_A man entered. She was too busy being impatient to notice him give her an once-over with his eyes. He chuckled. "Sorry for holding you up."_

_She looked at him. He spoke with a heavy British accent. Any other day and she would've found it rather sexy but not today. Not right now. Ignoring him, she reached out to press the "Close Doors" button again._

_He glanced over at the books in her arms. "Psychology?"_

"_Observant." She replied sarcastically, her eyes glued to the display above the buttons. The numbers slowly ascended with the elevator. 4. 5. 6._

_He continued his questions. "Late for a meeting with the professor?" She glanced at him but said nothing. He chuckled again. "You think I'm odd." Still, she said nothing but that only seemed to amuse him even more. "Just because you don't speak doesn't mean I don't know what you're saying about me on the inside." He pointed at her face. "The space between your eyebrows is tense. You think I'm annoying."_

"_I don't know who you are, but…"_

"_S'alright." He shrugged just as they arrived at the tenth floor. "I have a feeling we'll know each other soon enough." He extended his hand out as the doors slid open, inviting her to exit the elevator first. When she gave him a questioning look, he smirked, "You're in much more of a hurry."_

*****

Cal was just exiting the lab when he spotted Gillian entering her office. He made his way down the hall and knocked twice on the glass before entering. "I didn't think you'd be coming back tonight."

"I left a folder here. I wanted to go through it before tomorrow." She answered without acknowledging him with a look.

He watched for a moment as she searched frantically for said folder. Finally, he walked over to the desk and brushed away a few loose papers, revealing a red folder underneath. "Is this it?"

Her eyes landed on the folder. She grabbed it and said a quick 'thank you'. Her eyes never met with his, even as she rounded the desk and headed towards the door. She was embarrassed for letting him see how frustrated she had been over a mere folder.

"Foster."

The sound of his voice stopped her but she kept her back to him. "Whatever it is, Cal, can it wait until tomorrow? I'm tired and…"

"I know you met with your mother today."

She threw her head back and looked hopelessly at the ceiling. "Of course you know."

He knew it annoyed her that he had always kept in contact with her parents. Even though it wasn't a constant contact, it was still more than she appreciated. "I had to speak to your father about the case. Your mother happened to be leaving as I arrived. That's when she told me."

"Yes, I met with her." She finally turned to face him. "And if you're waiting for some sort of good news, you're wasting your time. I don't even know why I bothered to call her. Nothing's changed. Nothing ever **will** change."

"Do you remember when we first met?"

"Officially or unofficially?" Her lips twitched up into a small smile.

"I was still working for the FBI back then. They insisted I needed a more human side to my work so I went to your school, expecting to find a psychology professor to help me out. Then I ran into you." He rambled through the story, one that she already knew.

"And you almost made me late handing in my paper."

"Yeah but I made up for that, didn't I?" He grinned. "Do you know why I insisted on having you help me when I could've had any top professor work with me?"

"Because you thought you could boss me around?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "No, I would never dare think that. I chose you because you had something I knew I lacked…"

"Sensitivity?" She cut in cheekily.

Ignoring her jab at him, he finished, "Hope."

"You got that from one elevator ride?"

"What can I say? I'm good at what I do. Plus, when I spoke to your professor about it afterwards, he told me, with your academic achievements, you would be able to provide me with more than enough help."

"I'm sorry, as much as I like to reminisce, what was the point of this again?"

"The point is you've always been the hopeful one between the two of us. You believe in people…sometimes, even when they don't necessarily deserve it."

"And that doesn't always land me in a good place."

"No, but it doesn't always land you in a bad place either, love. I still remember when we first met, you and Alec weren't doing so well and you managed to turn him around. He went from unemployed and completely unmotivated to working at the State Office. Regardless of what you were telling people back then, I know it was all you."

"And you." She smiled, a little sadly this time. "If it wasn't for your connections, he would've never gotten hired."

"But you cleaned him up. Got him on his feet. You had hope and you made it happen." He took a step towards her, closing the gap between them, and placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "Don't give up on your parents. I know it's a been a tough road but if you have hope, it can happen."

"Hope? Don't give up? Leave the psychology stuff to me, Cal." Her face was stern but there was a slightly lilt in her voice that told him she would consider his words. "I should get going."

"Yeah, alright." He let his hand linger for just a moment longer on her arm before pulled it away. "'Night, love."

"'Night, Cal."


	7. Chapter 7

"_Hi." Her eyes shyly met with his as he opened the door to his apartment. It was her first time here and she wasn't sure if she would be invited in. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be invited in. She quickly lifted the folder in her hand to explain why she was here. "Um…the analysis you wanted me to do on your latest case?"_

_He said nothing at first, simply narrowing his eyes and studying her. She hated when he did that. It meant he was __**reading**__ her. Sometimes, she wished he would just ask her what he wanted to know and, sometimes, she wished he would just not care at all._

_Getting uncomfortable under his watchful gaze, she shifted her weight to the other foot and waved the folder in front of his face. "Hello?"_

"_Come in." He stepped aside so she could come in. He followed her a few short steps into the living room. "I thought I told you I wasn't in a hurry to get that analysis."_

"_And I thought bosses liked efficiency." Her eyes darted around the small apartment. It looked like any other bachelor pad she had seen. There was a pile of books on the coffee table, a half-eaten pizza sitting in an open pizza box on the dinner table, and a few items of clothing strewn haphazardly on the floor, which he quickly picked up and threw inside his bedroom. "Don't you work for the FBI?"_

"_Yes, why?"_

_She shrugged. "Just thought your place would be a bit more…"_

"_Fancy? Glamorous?" He chuckled, taking a seat on the couch. He leaned back, intertwining his fingers behind his head. "The government does not pay well, love. So, you gonna tell me why you're really here or are you going to give me some interior designing tips?"_

"_I told you. I'm here to give you the report." She handed him the folder but stayed in her place with the coffee table separating them._

_He took it without giving it so much as a glance. His eyes were still trained on her. "How's the mysterious boyfriend?"_

_She rolled her eyes. "I wish you would stop referring to him that way. Just because you've never met him doesn't make him mysterious. And he's fine."_

_There was a slight twitch in her cheek as she said that last part. It had been subtle but he had caught it. He always did. "You know, most women are enthusiastic to talk about their significant others…__**except**__ when they're unhappy."_

"_You can be a real jerk sometimes, you know that?"_

"_Just trying to care about my favourite employee."_

"_No you're not. You're just being nosy! You hate it when you don't know something so, you search and search for the answer. But do you know how annoying that is? Do you know how much it can hurt to be forced to open up wounds you may not be ready to deal with? It might just be a game for you but it's someone's life you're playing with."_

_His face showed no emotion. Something else that had always bothered her. It was unfair that he could always read her but she was almost never able to understand him._

_When he didn't respond, she shook her head. "Forget it. It's like talking to a brick wall. If there's anything in the report you need clarified, you know where to find me." She turned to leave._

"_I'm sorry."_

_His voice had been so quiet, she had to turn around to see if she had heard correctly. To her surprise, the blank expression on his face had been replaced with one of sincere regret. She was so shocked by this sudden openness that she was rendered speechless._

"_I'm sorry." He repeated. "I know I can be a bloody bastard sometimes. I apologize. It's just that everytime I see you, I can tell you're hiding something painful under that strong façade of yours. You have so much hope and yet, you're so sad." He paused and then added breathlessly, "You're fascinating."_

_She sighed and backtracked a few steps back into the living room. "But I'm not a case for you to investigate. I'm not a mystery waiting to be solved. You can't read me like you read suspects. If I'm to continue helping you, we need to have a line."_

_He nodded, understanding what she meant. "I won't do it again, I promise."_

_As the anger inside of her dissipated, she quickly began to feel guilty. She knew that the frustration she had felt was not so much for him as it was for the man waiting for her at home. She and Alec had gotten into another fight. She didn't want to stay home to deal with him so she had stayed at the library, working on the analysis report all evening. Coming here tonight was just another way to avoid going home._

"_Do you mind if I stay here for a while?" She knew he wasn't going to ask for a reason but she felt the urge to give him one. "My boyfriend and I…" She trailed off._

_She didn't need to finish the thought. He understood. He motioned for her to sit down on the couch as he vacated it. "I'll go get us some drinks. You ever have scotch?"_

*****

Cal had considered it all night. Ever since Gillian had bid him goodnight back at the office, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. He was worried. She might be able to go through a lot of tough situations by herself but when it came to her parents, it was a different issue. He had spent most of the rest of his night at the office, staring at his phone, wondering if he should call. Everytime he decided to start dialing that little voice in his head would remind him that it wasn't his place to worry. When he returned home, it was more of the same, that is, until Emily caught him staring blankly at his phone in the kitchen.

"Dad? You ok?"

He lifted his head to acknowledge his daughter with a smile before returning his gaze to his phone. "Yeah, great, love. Why aren't you asleep yet?"

"I wanted to get some water before I slept." She stared at the back of his head as she poured some water into an empty cup. She knew he hadn't heard a word she had said. "Dad…whoever it is that you wanna call, you should just call them. You're not gonna sleep if you don't."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure she wants to talk. Personal space and all that…"

"Is it Gillian?" She joined Cal at the table. "Is she ok?"

"Don't know." He answered honestly.

Emily looked at her father for a moment longer and then pointed to his phone. "You should call her. You're obviously worried. I'm sure she'd understand." With that, she patted Cal on the arm and got up from the table, leaving him with some privacy. "Goodnight, Dad." She ascended the stairs up to her room and smiled to herself when she heard the front door open and close.

*****

Gillian looked surprised and tired when she opened the door. Cal was grateful there was no sign of anger or annoyance. "Cal, what are you doing here?"

He sighed. It was now or never. "I know you don't want to talk about it and I respect that but I'm worried and I hope you'll respect that as well." He paused, waiting for a reaction. When she gave him none, he added with a smile, "Emily said you'd understand."

This garnered a chuckle from her. She moved aside to allow him in. "Well, I can't argue with Emily, can I?"

Having gotten through the first obstacle of being invited in, he felt a lot more confident trekking forward. When he entered the living room, he found a throw blanket on the sofa and an opened folder on the coffee table beside a steaming cup of hot chocolate. "Ready for a long night, I see."

"I told you I wanted to go through the information before tomorrow." She couldn't help but smile in amusement as he made himself comfortable on her sofa and then looked at her as if questioning why she wasn't sitting. She obliged and sat down beside him. "I have a feeling I won't be getting much work done tonight though."

"Would you like to know how the case is progressing?"

She shook her head and then propped it up with her hand against the back of the sofa. "No…" She paused and then quietly added, "I shouldn't."

"If you're afraid of there being a conflict, you knowing the progress is far different from having you actually work the case yourself. If you were not related to the clients, you would be working the case, therefore, you would know the progress anyway. You're not currently on the case because you are related to the clients and, more specifically, you're their daughter. You have every right to know whether or not this woman is really your half-sister."

"Why? It's not like I'll be fighting her for part of the family fortunes. I doubt I was kept in the will after everything I did."

"Ok." He nodded and looked away as if ready to change the topic.

She knew he was goading her. "Just tell me, Cal."

"I'm not sure if she's your father's daughter."

"Not surprising. She's not the first person to come out claiming to be William Whitford's illegitimate child and I don't think she'll be the last."

"But we also don't think she's doing this for money."

She would be lying if she said her interest hadn't been piqued. There was no hiding her curiousity now. "Then why is she doing this?"

"Torres and Loker seem to think it's for acknowledgement."

"That doesn't make any sense. Acknowledgement is usually only desired by first parties themselves. If this woman's mother stepped out and did all of this, I would understand but…"

"I agree. I'm not sure acknowledgement is the answer." He paused, contemplating his next words. "Does the name Susan Boris mean anything to you?" Gillian's eyes widened, answering his question. "So, it does. She's the mother."

"I was ten. It was my birthday. I found my father with Susan in his study. She was his secretary. That was the first time I caught him with another woman."

_First time_. He knew there were many more times to follow. He could see the hurt flashed in her eyes even as she looked away. "Megan Boris is her daughter. She's 27 years old…"

Gillian knew what that meant. "27 years ago… approximately coincides with when I caught Susan with my father."

"Yeah but, she was lying. I don't know if it was about her parentage or something else but she's definitely hiding something."

"I wish I could help but…" She shook her head, "I can't."

He knew it would be too much to continue pushing her. "It's alright. I'll find out the truth." He watched as she picked up the cup of hot chocolate from the coffee table and rounded it with both hands. "Do you wanna talk about your meeting with your mother?"

She shrugged as casually as she could, her eyes staying on the liquid inside her cup. "Nothing to talk about. We argued. About Alec. Again." She emphasized each part of her sentence with a pause.

Alec had always been a sore point between mother and daughter. Cal knew they had fought often about the man who would eventually become Gillian's husband and then, ex-husband, but he had never asked why. He didn't think he had to. He remembered how she used to come over to his place back before either of them were married. He remembered how her eyes would be red from crying after another fight with Alec and how it would take, at least, two glasses of scotch to calm her nerves enough for her to fall asleep in his bed. He remembered how he would stir from his own sleep on the couch to hear her whimpering from yet another nightmare. He had always wondered what a woman like her was doing with an asshole like Alec. Even without meeting him, Cal had never liked him. How could he? Since day one, he knew Alec as the guy who would make Gillian sad and that always made his blood boil but he never said a word. He had a line to respect and respect it, he did.

"Hey."

Gillian's voice brought Cal back to reality. He found her looking at him with a mixture of curiousity and worry. "Sorry, love, got lost for a bit there."

"Cal, I don't want you to worry about me. I'm ok. I realize there are a lot of skeletons in my closet that I've still yet to deal with but I'll be ok. I've accepted that my parents are now our clients and that they'll be around, at least, until the case is solved. D.C.'s too small to avoid them forever, anyway." She looked at him for a response but he just continued looking at her with those deep, gazing eyes that could only mean one thing. "Stop it, Cal, I'm ok. Really."

"Ok. I believe you."

"Good, now, I really need to go through this case file…" She began reaching for the folder that had been ignored since Cal had arrived.

"Are you kicking me out, Foster?"

"You could stay and watch me read my file but I think you'd rather go home and sleep."

_No, actually, I wouldn't_. He considered correcting her but then voted against it. He got up. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, love. 'Night then."

"'Night, Cal." And with that, Gillian said goodnight a second time to her partner tonight. Except, this time, she managed a genuine smile as they parted.


	8. Chapter 8

_He hadn't expected her tonight. She had handed in her final thesis this morning. Barring any major catastrophes, she was officially Dr. Gillian Foster today. He thought she would be celebrating with Alec. Instead, he found her standing on his doorstep with a bottle of unopened scotch in her hand and an unconvincing smile on her face._

"_Hey." When he didn't immediately step aside for her to come in, she lifted the heavy bottle of alcohol to show it to him. "The good stuff, I promise."_

"_I thought you would be out with the boyfriend." He stated, consciously still staying put in his spot, blocking her from his apartment._

_She frowned, noting the lack of invitation still. "Um…I thought I'd share a drink with my favourite boss first…" She trailed off, narrowing her eyes at him. Over the past several years, having worked closely with Cal, she had picked up a few pointers from him. His face was still emotionless but his shoulders were tensed up and he was literally standing in her way. "Cal, is this a bad time?"_

_Before he could respond, the sound of shuffling footsteps came from within the apartment. Gillian peeked over his shoulder to find a familiar figure approaching the doorway. Her question had just been answered._

"_Hi, Gillian."_

"_Hi, Zoe." Gillian watched as the other woman snaked an arm around Cal's waist. She didn't need to be an expert to interpret that action. Zoe was marking her territory. "I should get going." She turned to leave but then remembered the bottle of scotch still in her hand. She extended it to Cal. "You guys enjoy."_

"_No, we couldn't…" Cal could see the disappointment in her eyes. She hid it well but not enough for him to miss it._

"_Please." She insisted. "Alec doesn't really like alcohol. It would just be a waste if I kept it. Enjoy."_

_Cal took the scotch and nodded a silent 'thank you' but she hadn't seen it. Without so much as another glance at them, Gillian turned and left._

"_Well, that was nice of her…"_

_He was aware that Zoe was speaking to him but her words weren't registering in his ears. He listened as the elevator doors opened and closed, signifying Gillian was gone. Closing the door, finally, he turned to find Zoe looking at him with crossed arms. "What?" He asked, not without annoyance in his voice._

"_If you want to go after her…"_

_He slipped past her, placing the scotch on the dinner table. "Don't be ridiculous, why would I want to go after her?"_

"_Ok, fine…I don't wanna fight." She, again, wrapped her arms around him._

_Sighing, the tension in his body dissolved and he turned to wrap his arms around Zoe. It was only then that he realized he hadn't congratulated Gillian on finally finishing her studies. He closed his eyes in regret, unaware that Zoe had begun speaking again…_

*****

"Cal."

Cal opened his eyes to find Mary Whitford looking at him with what he could only describe as a motherly smile. He answered her with a smile of his own and quickly jumped up from his seat. "Mary, sorry, I must've dozed off there for a minute." He pushed in her seat for her and then returned to his own.

"You must be wondering why I asked to meet you here alone, instead of at your office along with my husband."

"Is this about Gillian?"

Mary smiled, noting the genuine concern on the man's face when he spoke of her daughter. "No, it's about the case."

"I updated William yesterday at the house but I could provide you with an update if that's what you want."

"No, no…William updated me. I have some information about Susan Boris, Megan's mother? I don't know how useful it will be to you…"

"Right…"

"Susan was William's secretary back in the day. I found out about…**them**…and I paid Susan to quit."

He could tell, even after all these years, it was hard for her to speak about her husband's indiscretions. Her hands were intertwined with such force he could see her fingers turning white. Sensing she had more to say, he kept quiet.

"She insisted she was not with William for his money and that she wasn't going to quit so easily. So…I made it impossible for her not to."

"Meaning?"

"Coming from my background and being married to an equally powerful man gave me privileges that I will not go into but after she quit, she left town. William has never known about this."

Doing what it took to get what one wanted wasn't a foreign concept to Cal. "Thank you, Mary. I don't know how this information will fit into the big picture but I will definitely keep it in mind. And as for William, I can't guarantee I can keep this secret from him forever. If it turns out that it's pertinent to the case, I may have to tell him. You understand that, right?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Until then, your secret's safe with me."

"Thank you, Cal, I knew I could trust you." She paused before asking carefully, "Did you speak with Gillian last night?"

"I did, actually."

"Our meeting didn't go very well. We got very upset with each other."

"She may have mentioned an argument…"

"You're probably wondering why, after all these years, I can't just let bygones be bygones." She shook her head and sighed. "Sometimes I wonder why, myself. I mean, it's not like she's married to Alec anymore."

Cal decided to leave this one alone. He simply nodded understandingly.

"You know, Cal, I always wondered why she hadn't chosen you." She smiled, slightly amused that she had caught him off-guard. His eyes lit up just the slightest bit at her comment. "You were always there for her."

"Not quite as much as she was there for me."

"As a mother, all I wanted was for her to be happy and I know that no matter what she told us, Alec didn't make her happy. He was wrong for her and she knew it. Sometimes I think what if I had just given in and let her be with him? Maybe the novelty of using him to get to us would've worn off and she would've found someone right for herself." She paused here, looking pointedly at Cal, who stayed perfectly still as if not wanting to give up anymore hidden reactions. "But that's all in the past. What matters now is the present."

"That's true."

"Cal, I hear you got a divorce."

He let out a surprised laugh. "Yes, you heard correctly."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be such a meddler."

"No, it's quite alright. My divorce isn't some big secret."

"I can't ask you for anything more. You've already done so much for us and for Gillian but…"

"I'm going to be there for her." He cut in, already knowing what she was going to ask of him.

"Thank you, Cal, you're a good man. I'm glad my daughter has you in her life."

"And I'm glad she's in mine. The feeling's mutual. Believe me, Mary."


	9. Chapter 9

Cal had been in the middle of a productive discussion with Ria and Eli when the door opened and in walked in his business partner. All three immediately stopped talking and a deafening silence filled the lab. Gillian looked from Ria to Eli and finally, her eyes locked with Cal's. When, still, nobody said anything, she decided to break the silence. "Please, don't stop on my account."

The sarcasm in her voice was obvious. Cal knew she knew that they had been talking about her parents' case and it annoyed her that they had stopped talking the moment she appeared. He pointed to his two underlings. "Stay on that train of thought. I'll be right back."

Gillian opened her mouth to protest when Cal grabbed her arm rather roughly and began pulling her out of the lab. She stopped herself when she looked at him and was surprised to find a deep look of **something** on his face. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. "What happened?" She frowned when, at first, he said nothing. Annoyance quickly returned as she watched him take his time closing the door to his office and then the door leading into the library. "Cal. What's wrong?" Her voice was stern, indicating she was no longer in the mood to be patient.

"I met with your mother this morning."

The expression on Gillian's face quickly changed. He could tell she was bracing for whatever he had to tell her. "What did she want?"

"She provided me with some information…"

"About the case?"

"Yes."

She knew he was giving short answers for a reason. She knew she shouldn't prod but it annoyed her even more that he was telling her bits and pieces at a time. "Cal, whatever it is, either tell me or just leave it alone."

"At the very beginning of this case, we tried to do a background check on Megan. That's when we found out her mother's name was Susan but we had a very difficult time finding more information regarding Susan." He paused, waiting for a reaction from Gillian but she simply looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "There seemed to be a lack of her records after 1984. We just received word from Canadian police that that was the year Susan committed suicide."

The sinking feeling in Gillian's stomach increased tenfold. Immediately, she realized what the expression on Cal's face had been. Suicide cases always gotten to him, understandably, considering what had happened to his mother. She felt a pang of guilt when she remembered how short she had been with him just a moment ago. How annoyed she had been with him. "Cal…"

He shook his head and looked down, pushing forward with the conversation. "Apparently, shortly after you found Susan with your father, she moved to Canada. That was where she had Megan and two years after her birth, she was found in her home with a gunshot wound to the right temple."

His voice was monotonous. He was simply reciting information he had read earlier. No emotions. No glimpse into his inner feelings. He was also purposely avoiding her eyes. Gillian wanted to provide some kind of comfort and he knew that but this wasn't about him. This seemed to be enough to make her back off. When she spoke again, the concern in her voice had been dialed down. "So…what does this have to do with your meeting with my mother?"

"She wanted to tell me something that even your father doesn't know." He sighed, still unsure whether telling Gillian was a good idea. "She was responsible for making Susan leave your father."

"Responsible? How?"

"She didn't specify." He could see her jawline twitch. She was gritting her teeth. All the possible ways that her mother could've made Susan disappear were running through mind. "I'm not sure your mother knows that Susan moved to Canada and that she died shortly after but, this is definitely something we'll have to follow-up on. It could give Megan a motive."

"You think that she's here exacting revenge for her mother?"

"It would explain why we kept getting the impression that she was hiding something."

She leaned back against the chair and let her head fall back tiredly. It was barely noon and, already, her head was throbbing. "Cal?"

"Yes, love?'

Sitting up again, she looked straight at him. "If you find that anyone in this case was involved in any wrongdoing, promise me you won't deal with them lightly." Before he could question her, she nodded. "I mean it. Promise me."

He nodded. "Ok, I promise." He knew there was no point in arguing with her. She had made up her mind and as angry as she must've been, Gillian Foster rarely said anything she would regret…even in anger.

*****

_Cal knew she was watching him. He could feel her eyes cutting through him. He knew she wanted him to look up at her but he couldn't, partly because he didn't want to give her the satisfaction and partly because he knew what she had to say was the truth. He muttered a curse under his breath as he heard her get up from her seat. She was coming to him since she realized he wouldn't be coming to her. When he finally looked up, she was already standing in front of him. He gave her his best blank look. "Yes?"_

"_Are you done?" Her voice was filled with annoyance but it wasn't out of impatience. He knew her annoyance stemmed from what he had told her just a few minutes ago._

"_Almost. Are you in a hurry to get me out of here?" He knew she wasn't. Ever since Zoe had moved in with him, they had moved their meeting place to Gillian's apartment. Alec was away most of the day, finishing his studies at community college and earning money as an intern at the State Office – a job __**he**__ had gotten for Alec._

_Gillian didn't budge. "Yes, actually, I am."_

"_Alec is at the State Office until this evening and he has a class tonight. Unless you have another boyfriend to babysit…" She flinched at his comment. He knew it was a low blow but he was just as frustrated as she was._

"_Go to hell, Cal."_

_They sat in tense silence for a long while after that. He kept his eyes focused on the mess of papers on the table in front of him but he wasn't actually reading anything. He kept thinking of all the ways he could apologize to Gillian and all the ways he could defend his decision when she finally decided to talk to him about it._

_An opening finally came up when, as he reached for a folder on the other end of the table, he knocked over the cup of coffee he had forgotten about. He swore loudly this time and immediately began grabbing half-wet papers off the table. Gillian rushed over to help him but, still, said nothing. He stole a glance at her when she was futilely wiping coffee off various papers. He could tell she was no longer as angry._

"_I'm sorry."_

"_It's fine. I have copies."_

"_Not about the report…" He stopped and looked at her, waiting for her to look at him. She let go of the wet sheets in her hand but would not look at him. "I should've told you sooner."_

"_You don't owe me anything, Cal. I mean…really, what are we? You're just my boss. You have no obligation to tell me you're getting married."_

_Despite her words, her voice and face said otherwise. He knew it bothered her that he was marrying Zoe and that he hadn't told her until tonight. "You and I both know our relationship extends further than professionally." He scolded himself silently for his choice of words. She finally looked at him and the look in her eyes told him his words had affected her too. "You're my friend. I should've told you earlier."_

_Too angry now to pretend like she wasn't, she nodded. "You're right, Cal, you should've told me earlier. I mean…we've worked together for three years now! I thought I was your friend. I thought you __**trusted**__ me!"_

"_I do…"_

_She ignored his interruption and continued, "And then suddenly you tell me tonight that you're marrying Zoe next week? __**Next week**__, Cal! I can't even…" She shook her head and turned away, at a loss for words._

"_I should've told you earlier." He repeated himself sincerely, unsure of what else he could say._

"_And really, Zoe? Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into? Zoe's gonna eat you up! I might as well just say goodbye to you right now."_

"_Gillian…"_

"_I'm serious, Cal! I've seen how you are around her. I've seen how she is when you try to be yourself. You can't be yourself! She doesn't allow it! How is it a relationship if she won't even allow you to be who you are?"_

"_That's enough!" He walked away, knowing he would say something he would regret if he had stayed so close to her._

"_I'm sorry if it's hard hearing all of that but, as your friend, I feel like I have to say it even if it hurts." She walked over to him and placed a hand on his arm. "I don't regret saying any of it. Whether you choose to listen to me is on you. I've said everything I need to say." She pointed to the table. "I'm gonna get some more paper towels."_

_It wasn't until she had her back to him and was walking away that he allowed himself to look up at her. He would be lying if he said he hadn't considered everything she had just to him. He knew what Zoe did to him. He knew getting married to her would be a mistake but he had no choice. Soon, Gillian would understand._


End file.
